


A Revealing Week

by Remasa



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Drama, Family, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Family Reveal, Gabriel Agreste Is Not Hawk Moth, Gen, Humor, Identity Reveal, ML Reveal Week, accidental reveal, comedic reveal, season 2 spoiler free
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-15 03:39:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13604754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remasa/pseuds/Remasa
Summary: A wrong word that Chat accidentally utters at the wrong time unexpectedly turns into a chain of reveals ready to happen. But would Ladybug really have so much fun waiting for someone to figure out her identity? And would that someone want to get back at the duo for making fun of him? Written for ML Reveal Week August 2017.  A connected story with three prompts/three chapters.Because this was written in August 2017, it was written before Season 2 aired and as such may conflict with current canon.  This story is Season 2 Spoiler Free.First chapter is Drama.  Second and third chapters are Humor.  The prompts are: accidental, comedic, and family.





	1. Accidental

_Chapter 1_

_Accidental_

Chat Noir lounged on the rooftop losing a mental argument with himself that just because he was Chat Noir did _not_ mean he enjoyed napping in the sun.

He enjoyed naps and sunlight _long_ before becoming a superhero.

With another wide yawn, he turned over to one side and dropped a languid arm off the side of the building, letting it dangle over the street below. The warm sunlight beamed down on his back, lulling the boy into a light slumber.

Until an angry buzzing noise cut through his catnap. Grumbling under his breath, he reached around behind him and withdrew his baton, depressing the button on it with one clawed thumb.

"Wassup, M'Lady?" he mumbled once the screen popped up and Ladybug's face appeared.

"Chat!" Was she running? "Where are you? There's an emergency!"

Chat yawned again. "Sleeping," he replied, still trying to shake the cobwebs from his head and focus on his job. "Akuma?" He stretched.

"Don't think so," came the terse reply, punctuated by a grunt and then heaving breathing as the screen shook slightly. "An alarm was activated at the Agreste manor and Ti—er, my kwami sensed something major going on."

That woke him up.

He shot to his feet, electrified by the adrenaline that spiked through his body. "What?" he exclaimed.

"I don't know much, but my kwami seems to think it wasn't an akuma. We have to hurry!"

"On it!"

He disconnected the call and jumped off the roof, heading the few blocks back to his home. He joined up with Ladybug as she swung over the gate. With a nod, he kicked open the front doors and they both darted inside, coiled and ready for a fight.

Eerie silence greeted them. Ladybug looked to one side. "There!" she cried, pointing to the open door.

Chat bounded over and stopped short once he saw the inside of his father's atelier. All the mannequins lay on the floor, their limbs ripped away and scattered around the room. The dresses and clothes upon them lay in shredded ruins. Beside him, Ladybug's breath caught in her throat as she surveyed the damage. Curtains dangled from mangled hooks, torn into ribbons and fluttering softly in the breeze, which Chat noticed came from a nearby broken window. The cushions lining the interior were slashed open and the white, fluffy stuffing strewn around the room. Nathalie's monitor was broken and her desk smashed in half. Even some of tiles on the ground were cracked. Whatever had destroyed this room did so with destructive efficiency.

But his breathing stopped entirely when his eyes fell upon a lone figure crumpled underneath the gold painting of his mother – a painting that now hung from one hinge to reveal an open safe.

"Father!"

The anguished cry ripped from his throat before he could stop it. His body moving on its own, he launched across the room, barely registering his feet touching the ground nor Ladybug's surprised gasp. He skidded to a stop and dropped to his knees. Ladybug knelt beside him a second later. He reached out with trembling hands and gently turned his father onto his back, his heart thumping loudly as he gazed upon his father's deathly pale face.

Ladybug immediately bent down and placed her ear upon Gabriel's chest. For one long, agonizing moment, she listened. At last, she sat up.

"He's alive."

The breath Chat didn't know he had been holding whooshed out of him in a sudden exhale. He sagged against the wall, clutching his father in his arms. Ladybug reached out and placed her hand upon his shoulder. He took comfort in her gesture. He blinked up at her. She offered a thin smile. "I'm going to call for some help," she said, withdrawing her yo-yo. "Are you okay?"

Chat glanced back down at his father before meeting Ladybug's eyes. He nodded. She squeezed his shoulder. Then, she rose and dialed a number on her yo-yo, moving away so she could speak to emergency services in a low voice. After a moment, she returned. "They're on their way," she said and sat down next to him.

He was grateful she didn't say anything else as he held his father close to him, listening to the shallow breathing he hadn't noticed earlier in his frightened panic. Eventually, Gabriel began to stir. Ladybug shifted to hover over him as Gabriel's eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Mr. Agreste?" Ladybug said in a soft voice. Chat was glad she was taking the lead. He feared he wouldn't be of any use as a stammering mess. Gabriel's eyes glazed over. "Mr. Agreste?" Ladybug repeated. His eyes focused and he blinked at her. He opened his mouth and his lips moved a couple of times.

"Ladybug?" he croaked at last. "What...?" He trailed off, not having the energy to complete his question.

"You were attacked," Ladybug explained gently, "we were hoping you could tell us more."

Gabriel's gaze drifted from Ladybug to him. Chat gulped and hoped his expression didn't still hold the desperation that had gripped him moments earlier. "How...?" Another faded question, but the meaning crystal clear.

Again, Ladybug answered. "I sensed something wrong. I don't know what and I can't explain the feeling, but something just felt _wrong_. It settled in the pit of my stomach. I had to get here as quick as possible. I can't really explain much more than that immediate sense of urgency."

Gabriel nodded once, then winced and reached up to touch his head. He blinked up at Chat, puzzled to find himself cradled on the hero's lap. He bolted upright with a gasp. "Adrien!" he exclaimed, scrambling to haul himself up.

Chat's eyes widened even as Ladybug darted forward and gripped Gabriel's arm. "Calm down, Mr. Agreste," she said in a low, soothing voice.

"Have to find..." He stumbled back with another groan of pain, clutching his head as he slumped against the wall.

"Adrien is safe," Ladybug told him, still keeping a firm hold upon Gabriel in case he attempted to rise again. "He's with a friend. I saw him on my way over here."

Gabriel bowed his head and kept one hand gripping his forehead, his breathing ragged. The sudden jolt must have hurt him more than he let on. "I don't want to worry him," he murmured.

Ladybug cast a quick glance to Chat. "Oh, I think he's plenty worried," she said. "He's vaguely aware of what happened, though I told him to stay put until he heard from me."

"Thank you." It came out as a whisper.

Ladybug squeezed his arm reassuringly and sat back. "I know this must be difficult but do you know why you were attacked?"

Gabriel looked up at his safe with a pained grimace. "It's gone."

Ladybug and Chat followed his line of sight. "What's gone?" Ladybug prompted.

"The Peacock Miraculous."

The sharp gasp from Ladybug mimicked Chat's. "What?" Chat cried, the first thing he had said since Gabriel awoke. Ladybug shot him a pointed look but didn't chastise him for his outburst, even as Gabriel winced. Chat couldn't tell if it was from the loud noise or guilt.

"I was keeping it safe. But it appears I couldn't even handle a simple task like that," he added in a bitter tone. Self-pity was unbecoming of Gabriel and Ladybug would have none of it.

"We'll recover it," she declared with all of the confidence Chat had come to love about her. They heard faint sirens in the background. Ladybug stood and Chat took his cue from her, rising as well. "We need to get going," she said. "But before we do, is there anything else we should know about what happened?"

Gabriel hesitated, his expression torn. Ladybug frowned. "Yes," Gabriel replied as Ladybug opened her mouth. "Can you come back later? Long story," he mumbled, fading once more. "How about dinner?"

Ladybug glanced at Chat. "Tomorrow night?" she asked, surveying both of them. Chat nodded wordlessly and Gabriel closed his eyes with a slight nod as well, attempting to keep his head as still as possible. "Great. Get some rest, Mr. Agreste. Chat, we should be heading out."

"Right." He followed her out the door. "Listen, Ladybug..." he began.

"Not now, Chat," she interrupted. "We'll talk tonight. Meet me at our spot if you can."

"Okay."

She flung out her yo-yo and vanished.

Great. He knew that Ladybug wanted to keep their identities secret and he went and blew it in a single moment of blind panic. She must hate him now.

That night, an apprehensive Chat Noir landed nimbly on a rusted balcony belonging to an abandoned apartment. He slid open the door and stepped inside the empty room. The building was occupied, but the single unit facing the alley had long been forgotten by the residents. They had discovered it on accident one night and had since adopted it as their secret place to lay low. Ladybug was already waiting for him. "I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry," were the first words out of his mouth.

She turned to him. "Nothing to be sorry about." She glanced around. "I would probably have done the same if it was my father lying there."

Chat hung his head. "It's just... he's all I have left. I can't lose him, too."

Ladybug walked up to him and placed one hand on the side of his face. "Adrien, I understand." He shuddered in reflex at the use of his civilian name, but the warmth in her voice coupled with her feather-light touch got him to meet her eyes. She smiled at him. "How is he?"

Chat shuffled his feet. "Okay, I guess. The paramedics told him to take it easy for a few days. They think he has a mild concussion. He's taking it as a challenge and is attempting to design the entire autumn lineup while he's confined to his bed."

Ladybug giggled at that and despite himself, Chat quirked a grin, too. "Well," Ladybug said with a deep breath. "I suppose it's only fair you get to know my identity, too."

"Wait!"

Ladybug paused, cocking her head at him. Chat flushed and rubbed his neck. "It's just... well, I don't want you to feel obligated to reveal yourself just because I slipped up."

The smile beamed at him in that moment ignited a fire inside his chest. "I think you need a friendly face right now," she assured him with a saucy wink.

Friendly...? Before he could process that thought, she released her transformation.

Chat sputtered. " _Marinette?_ "

She let out a nervous giggle, waving a couple of fingers at him shyly. "Surprise?"

He swept her up in a hug. "The _best_ surprise ever," he declared, spinning around. He dimly noted the presence of a red being floating around – her kwami, he assumed.

She chuckled. "Funny, that was my exact reaction as well."

Chat stopped and stared at her. "Really?"

She nodded and flicked his bell. "Really," she confirmed. Chat put her down and released his transformation. Plagg fluttered up and wobbled away – silently for once. Adrien spotted him hovering around the other red kwami. Both were watching him with identical grins. He flushed. "So what are we going to do about your father?" she asked, snapping him back to the topic at hand. Her eyes glittered mischievously. "I say we show up untransformed."

Adrien cast a long, unamused look to her. "He already is injured. I don't want to kill him from the shock."

"Hmm, you're right. I'll wait until dessert to spring it on him."

"Marinette!" Adrien drew out the word as one long whine. Marinette laughed and tapped the tip of his nose.

"Kidding, kitty," she laughed. "But if your father knows about Miraculouses, it might be best to come clean to him."

Adrien winced. "Let me think on it, okay?"

She relented. "Okay. We'll talk tomorrow. But right now, we should probably get going. I'm not certain how much time you have before your father decides to check on you, even if he is supposed to be confined to a bed."

Adrien conceded the point. "Until tomorrow, M'Lady," he intoned, bending over her hand and brushing his lips against her knuckles. He straightened. "Plagg, claws out!"


	2. Comedic

_Chapter 2 - Comedic_

Marinette spent much of the next morning thinking about their situation. The fact that Gabriel Agreste was at one point in possession of another Miraculous weighed heavily on her thoughts. Why did he have it? He seemed to be protecting it for some reason. Was it his? Did he find it? So many questions. Her head hurt. She groaned and tuned out most of her lectures as she doodled in her notebook.

But one thing she was certain about was that Gabriel Agreste was a lot smarter than she had originally thought. He knew about the existence of Miraculouses, kwamis, and a bunch of other details that would normally escape civilians. So what else did he know? She couldn't wait until their dinner tonight to find out more about it. Master Fu was agonizingly reluctant to reveal any information, and she was not about to go to him for advice on how to handle Gabriel right now.

That left the problem of their identities. Adrien admitted that he suspected his father knew about him, and he debated just coming clean that night. Marinette was a bit more hesitant.

"He needs to come to us first," she insisted. "Regardless of what knowledge he already has, I don't really feel comfortable revealing myself to him right away. This is quite a lot to take in."

"But he already knows who I am, at least I think he does. It's not that hard to make the leap between me to you, since we know each other in our civilian lives."

"It doesn't matter. I just need a bit more time to come to terms with the idea that a civilian – and your father at that – is aware of our identities." She folded her arms. A smirk appeared on her lips. "Hmm, let's make him work for it. I say he won't figure it out."

Adrien smiled back. "Nope. You don't know my dad like I do. He's really _really_ clever. He'll figure it out if you give him enough time."

"Care to put your Agreste money where your mouth is?"

Adrien leaned forward, matching her confident pose. "You're on, M'Lady."

And so that evening, Adrien had ducked out with a half-hearted excuse to study at a friend's house and slipped away to transform, meeting Ladybug outside of the gate at the scheduled time.

"Last chance to change the wager, LB," Chat said as he kicked off of the wall where he had been propped against. "He's going to eventually figure it out."

"Nope. He's going to crack and we're going to have to tell him in a month or two. I'm certain of it. _You_ didn't figure it out."

Chat placed one hand over his heart in mock-offense. "You wound me, M'Lady. Besides, I'm not my father. You would do well not to underestimate him."

"I'm not backing down, kitty."

"Easy money, then. I refuse to tell him and I know you won't."

"That's not true. I'll tell him eventually... maybe."

"Of course." She could hear the disbelief in his voice.

Ladybug rang the bell, silencing further communication between them. Gabriel answered and guided them inside. The doors leading to his atelier remained closed and boarded up. Ladybug glanced over. Gabriel noticed. "The workers will be here sometime this week to fix the damage."

Ladybug winced. "I tried using Miraculous Cure after we left."

"But it doesn't work on normal damages," Gabriel finished her thought. "It was a nice gesture regardless."

"How are you feeling?" she asked, because even Adrien didn't know the answer to that question, as he hadn't seen his father much all day.

"Better, thank you for your concern." The tightness around his eyes betrayed him, however, and Ladybug wondered if they should just offer to come back another time. Before she could voice her suggestion, Gabriel turned and led them to the dining hall. Ladybug sighed. This might end up being one long evening. She completely missed Chat's mischievous smirk as he followed behind her.

* * *

Gabriel's head pounded with each heartbeat. He had taken some mild painkillers just before the duo arrived and he sincerely hoped they would start working soon to dull the pain behind his eyes. He hesitated to take anything stronger that the doctor had prescribed because he wanted to be in full control of his senses. He hated that fuzzy-headed stuffiness that accompanied a lot of pain medication. But as he politely picked his way through dinner, he realized that perhaps he should have agreed to a later date, despite the danger the missing Miraculous posed. Ugh, it was going to be a long evening. Chat remained visibly on edge and Gabriel found it a bit concerning. He continued to turn over a theory in his mind. At least Ladybug was attempting to make small talk to ease the tense atmosphere.

"I love the way you managed to incorporate a minimalist approach while maintaining a sense of gravity in your decorations, Mr. Agreste," Ladybug remarked. "The doors especially serve to draw the eye and center the room."

"Thank you," he replied, feeling a touch of pride in her words.

Chat chuckled. "You've certainly have an eye for detail, M'Lady," he complimented, "but that's to be expected from an aspiring designer."

"Chat!" Ladybug admonished as a light flush spread across her cheeks. Chat flashed her a knowing smile as Gabriel's hand stilled, his face pinching into a pensive frown. Was that intentional? He watched the two as Ladybug glared at Chat for his remark and Chat resumed eating with a pleased expression. Hmm, so Chat didn't accidentally slip. What was his game?

"Is that true?" Gabriel asked, his curiosity sparked.

Ladybug shot another fiery glare at Chat before nodding a bit bashfully. "Yes," she admitted. She focused on her partner, attempting to deflect the attention off of herself. "Oh, Chat," she began in a cheery tone. Chat looked up, suspicion in his green eyes. "I know you haven't seen Mr. Agreste's son's room at all since you were mostly confined to the atelier when you've been here before," she said, watching Chat as she took a sip of her drink with deliberate casualness. Gabriel noticed the banter and frowned. Something was up. He just couldn't figure it out. "But Adrien has the _best_ rock climbing wall. I'm sure a cat like yourself would enjoy crawling around on it."

Chat leaned forward over his plate and winked at Ladybug. "And who says I haven't already?" he asked.

Gabriel had had enough. He set down his utensils. "Okay, what are you two doing?" he demanded. Immediately, both heroes turned to him.

"Whatever do you mean?" Ladybug asked, the picture of innocence. Gabriel wasn't buying it.

"You two are up to something, and quite frankly my head is still throbbing from yesterday's attack. So if you two don't want to tell me directly, then could you kindly refrain from making my headache worse?" He knew he shouldn't have invited the two over tonight, but it was done in a moment of weakness. A second moment of weakness if he counted his attack as the first.

Chat was the first to break the silence with a laugh. "I win," he declared with a smug smile to Ladybug.

She pouted. "Not yet. He hasn't figured it all out yet and I'm not budging."

"Figured _what_ out yet?" Gabriel asked, annoyance seeping into his voice.

Both turned to him with identical smarmy grins. "Our identities," they chorused together.

_What?_

"Oh, I know you're a designer and all and attention to detail is your specialty and you're fairly intelligent," Ladybug said, waving one hand dismissively. Gabriel didn't know if he should take that as a compliment and thank her when she continued on with, "I just don't think you know me well enough to be able to decipher my civilian identity."

_Know her_ well _enough? Does that mean he had met her before?_ His eyes narrowed. _For that matter, does that imply that he should know Chat better than Ladybug?_ Gabriel's head started to swim.

"C'mon, LB," Chat said, "you're hurting his brain from causing him to think too much." Gabriel glared at Chat, who quirked an eyebrow at him in challenge. Fine.

"How long do I have?" Gabriel asked. "To figure it out."

Ladybug glanced at the clock. "I only have a few more hours tonight. My parents are going to start to worry and wonder where I am. And there's only so much homework I can pretend to be doing at a friend's house late at night." Another knowing look exchanged with Chat. "But you're welcome to continue thinking about it. I'm eager to collect on our bet." She fixed Gabriel with a steady look. "I guess we could put a time limit on it, if Chat's so inclined to give in and just tell you."

"Not a chance, M'Lady!" Chat cried.

"Chat seems to disagree with me," Ladybug remarked, unconcerned with his protests. She resumed eating, not realizing that Gabriel's razor-sharp mind had begun to review every interaction between them that evening. "He thinks you almost have him figured out and it's not that much of a stretch to connect him to me."

At that final remark, Gabriel flickered his eyes to Chat, who met his gaze with a calm smile. A proud smile. Proud? Chat Noir was proud of him? He blinked. Hmm, then perhaps... "I believe you might be correct," Gabriel agreed and Chat's smile grew wider.

Gabriel spent the majority of the rest of dinner lost in deep thought, studying Ladybug and Chat Noir's interactions, much to the amusement of the duo, who insisted on dropping hints to him. Along with an inordinate amount of puns.

"You have purrfect table manners, M'Lady. You're well-bread." Gabriel nearly laughed at the affronted look on Ladybug's face, but ducked his head as she glared at Chat. "What?" Chat insisted, holding up his hands. "All I'm saying is that you're a great _roll_ model."

"Stop loafing around, Chat," she returned, much to her partner's delight. Gabriel wondered if he could kick them both out now and save his sanity along with his headache. He silently observed them both, wondering who the cheeky girl across the table could be, running through every woman he knew and dismissing them all.

"So, about the Peacock Miraculous," Ladybug finally said over dessert, lightly spooning her chocolate mousse.

Gabriel winced and set his own spoon down. "I was afraid of that." He took a deep breath. "I fear it's fallen into the wrong hands now."

"Wonderful," Chat muttered, stabbing at his mousse with his spoon. Ladybug kicked Chat under the table. He just sighed. "Sorry, I just meant that we're already pretty evenly matched against Hawkmoth, I hate to imagine another Miraculous used for evil purposes added into the mix."

Ladybug turned to Gabriel with a kind smile. "How did you come to have the Peacock Miraculous?" she asked. There was no accusation in her question, only genuine curiosity.

"I was entrusted to protect it," he said, in carefully measured tones. Ladybug squinted at him.

"That's not the entire story," she said.

"That's enough for now. The rest... I'm not ready to reveal yet." Gabriel closed his eyes. "Forgive me, it's rather personal."

Ladybug opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it and just nodded. "Fair enough. This mousse is delicious, by the way."

"Thank you," Gabriel replied. "I shall pass your compliments onto my chef."

Chat peered at Ladybug over his spoon. "You're just being polite," he told her. "I know for a fact that your family makes _way_ better desserts."

" _Chat!_ " she admonished. "That's not nice."

He shrugged and continued eating. "It's the truth though. _Crust_ me, I'm a superhero." He winked at Gabriel, who picked up on the hint. Hmm, an aspiring designer plus one who's family was talented in the kitchen. He wondered who among his colleagues had such a unique list of traits as this. While in his musings, Ladybug finished her dessert and looked to the clock.

"I think it's time for us to take our leave."

Gabriel stood. He faced Chat full on and offered a smug smile. "Ah, really though, I think it's only time for _you_ to leave. Chat can just head up to his room."

Ladybug chuckled and Chat beamed at him once more. "Congratulations," he said. He leaned over to Ladybug and held out his palm.

"Not so fast," Ladybug pointed out. "He still hasn't figured me out."

"Can't you just tell me? I'm sure I already know you."

"Sure, if Chat wants to admit defeat."

Chat fixed Gabriel with a level look. "Which I will not."

Gabriel frowned. "I can give you a job with my company. A designer like you would certainly benefit from such an arrangement."

Chat laughed and Ladybug planted one hand upon her hip and regarded him with amusement. "Oh, is that a desperate attempt at bribery, Mr. Agreste? I'll have you know I plan on earning that job on my own merit."

Chat leaned back in his chair. "Don't worry, Father, she has the talent to do just that."

Ladybug sauntered out of the door. "By the way, Mr. Agreste," she added as the two men walked her to the front door, "I attend the same school as Adrien. Maybe you should start showing up to some of the events there and you'll be able to meet his classmates." With one last wink at Chat, she slipped out of the house. Gabriel closed it behind her and rounded on his son, who released his transformation and folded his arms with a grin up at his father.

"Who is she?"

Adrien laughed. "I'm not going to lose this bet. Take heart, Father, I have full confidence you'll be able to figure it out." He eyed his father. "Well, maybe."

And he left Gabriel glaring after him as he headed up to his room.

Attend some events, huh? He could certainly oblige his son.

* * *

The next morning, Gabriel had Nathalie clear his schedule for any and every event that Adrien would be attending at the school. Adrien informed Marinette of this development with a whisper before class, eliciting a delighted giggle from her as she sat down.

Fencing meets, after-school presentations, skits and plays, piano recitals, sports games... Gabriel attended them all, much to the immense amusement of both Adrien and Marinette, who had to suppress laughter at Gabriel's increasing levels of annoyance.

"I didn't mean for him to attend _all_ of the events," she apologized to Adrien one afternoon after watching Gabriel frighten off _another_ student from a lower grade. Gabriel glowered after the student as Marinette turned away and leaned against the wall for support as she broke down into hysterics.

"Don't apologize," Adrien said, giggling with her. "I love this. He's shown up to more of these events in the last two weeks than in my entire life. And this," he waved his hand at Gabriel's fumbling attempts to track down Ladybug, "is pure gold. I would _pay_ to see this."

Marinette frowned as she watched Gabriel. "Adrien, about the Peacock Miraculous..."

Adrien sobered. "I figure there's not much we can do about it until whoever stole it makes a move. If it's Hawkmoth, he'll show his hand soon. If it's another player, we'll soon discover it as well. Either way, there's no sense in worrying about what we can't change."

"I suppose you're right," Marinette mused. "It just bothers me that there doesn't seem to be anything we can do. I don't like this."

"Me neither," Adrien admitted. They stood in silence for a moment, watching Gabriel scowl as a couple of girls took one look at his stormy expression and bolted away from him before he could even approach. Undeterred, he turned to look for another possible target.

"You have to admit he's quite determined," Marinette said, changing the subject once again as Gabriel scanned the room. She turned away as his eyes drifted over to them and held her breath in anticipation. When she finally looked back, Gabriel had zeroed in on someone else. "Even though he never approaches you."

Adrien jerked his head to Nino, who stood nearby with Alya. The two of them were talking in low voices, huddled around Alya's phone, and Adrien had taken the opportunity to converse in private with Marinette. "He doesn't like Nino, remember?"

Marinette's eyes widened at the realization. "You mean Nino is acting as our shield?"

But Adrien's smirk only confirmed it and they once again broke down into laughter, this time at the idea of Gabriel Agreste actively avoiding Nino.

* * *

"Why won't you just tell me who she is?" Gabriel grumbled after one football game, sinking into a chair with a weary sigh and grabbing a stem of grapes to eat. Adrien burst out laughing. "Stop laughing, Adrien, this isn't funny!"

Adrien just continued laughing and shook his head. "Nope. I rather enjoy having you attend our events. If I had known that this was all it would take to get you to appear I would have told you my identity right away."

Gabriel pulled out his tablet and began scrolling through it. "I have met nearly all of your classmates and seen them perform in almost every activity this school has to offer. Just tell me who she is!"

"Nope." Adrien reached over and plucked a grape from the bowl in front of Gabriel and popped it in his mouth. Gabriel frowned at the tablet.

"You have another event tomorrow."

"And the day after," Adrien added with a cheerful smile.

He glared at Adrien. "This is exhausting."

"Yep."

"Are you enjoying this?"

"Yep. I got a real _kick_ out of today's game."

Gabriel fixed him with an bland stare. Adrien returned it with a cheeky grin. Gabriel grumbled again and poked at his tablet. "Just tell me already!"

"Nope. I have homework. See you for dinner." With that, Adrien headed to his room, leaving Gabriel to groan in frustration.

* * *

"She better not be that Bourgeois girl, Adrien!" Gabriel all but shouted a few days later after a particularly exhausting science fair presentation. "I don't care if she is I swear I will ban her from my home."

Adrien blinked at Gabriel in astonishment before bursting out in hysterical laughter. "What did she do to you this time?" Chloe had taken to trapping Gabriel at nearly every event and roping him into some short-lived conversation before Gabriel had brushed her off to continue tracking down potential Ladybugs. Adrien was just happy she had someone else to focus upon other than him.

"She insinuated that you two are soulmates destined to be together and I should get used to the fact I will be having her as a daughter-in-law." The horrified expression upon Gabriel's face matched Adrien's sudden one. Gabriel noticed. "Hmm, maybe I should consider that if you don't tell me who Ladybug really is."

"Nope." Then in a moment of sympathy, Adrien relented. "I will tell you that it is _not_ Chloe."

The sigh of relief was audible to everyone in a three-yard radius around them. "Then I believe I shall continue my inquiries," Gabriel said, spotting a girl he hadn't yet talked to and heading over to her.

Adrien watched him approach Alix with a twinge of pity for the girl who currently had no idea what special type of intimidation awaited her. He risked a glance to where Marinette was standing. She had her hand clamped firmly over her mouth as she watched the entire interaction. She leaned against the wall, her whole body heaving as she attempted to stifle the giggles that would inevitably give her away. She caught Adrien's eye and both of them lost it simultaneously, Adrien breaking down into loud peals of laughter.

The noise reached Gabriel, who turned to glare at him, then catching onto what was happening, hastily whirled around to scan the room. But Marinette had already ducked out through the doors the minute Adrien broke down. Giggling, he slapped a hand over his mouth and darted after her. He caught up with her outside of the locker room where she was doubled over with laughter. Tikki floated beside her, chuckling as well. Plagg flew out with a big grin on his face and Adrien joined in with the rest of them.

"This is really irritating him, isn't it?" Marinette sputtered out between bouts of laughter.

"You have no idea!" Adrien wheezed, clutching his side. "He keeps alternating between threatening me and bribing me. He even tried bribing Plagg."

Marinette and Tikki howled with laughter. "How did that go?"

"I told him that I reveled in chaos and that this was the most chaotic thing I had seen in years," Plagg answered, folding his tiny arms with a smug smile. "Plus, Adrien already promised to double whatever amount of Camembert his father offered."

Marinette wiped a tear from her eye. "I don't think I've ever seen him this desperate. Is he even getting close?"

Adrien thought on it. "Well, he's slowly eliminating people, I think. That's a good sign. He's methodical, so it's only a matter of time before he reaches you, even with the Nino shield."

Marinette chortled again, then cut off with a strangled choke and ducked into the nearby locker room as the doors opened and Gabriel stepped into the hallway. "Adrien," he growled, looking around the hallway, "you were with her just now, weren't you?" he accused.

He smiled and leaned against the doors. "I don't know what you mean," he said in a falsely innocent voice.

Gabriel sighed. "At least that's another person eliminated."

"Better luck tomorrow?" Adrien said.

With an exasperated grumble, Gabriel turned and walked away. Adrien followed after him, glancing back to spot Marinette peeking through the doors. He winked at her and she giggled quietly.

The next few events involved Gabriel cornering different members of Adrien's class and attempting to interrogate them in a subtle manner. Unfortunately, Gabriel was mostly used to barking and getting what he wanted immediately, so his particular brand of subtlety only succeeded in intimidating everyone he spoke to. Which in an odd turn of events, actually helped him eliminate choices much faster as most people feared the daunting man. The entire time, Adrien watched with undisguised amusement and Marinette often vanished before he could catch her breaking down into fits of laughter.

Marinette sidled up to Adrien and handed him a pastry to eat while they observed Gabriel approaching Juleka after the school play. "This will be interesting," she remarked.

"Mmm," Adrien agreed, his mouth stuffed with bread.

"Juleka isn't afraid of anything I don't think," Marinette said with a delighted grin. "He might get the wrong idea and think she's Ladybug just because she won't run away from him."

Adrien finished his snack. "Let's get closer. I want to hear this."

They crept up as close as they dared and sat down on nearby chairs, facing away and adapting nonchalant poses to not appear quite as conspicuous, but in doing so looked _completely_ obvious that they were eavesdropping to anyone who saw them.

"I thought your makeup skills were quite remarkable," Gabriel complimented the quiet girl.

"Thanks, Mr. Agreste. My aunt is a makeup artist and she's taught me lots of things. I was just happy to help out."

"Ah," Gabriel struggled to find other ways of continuing the conversation, "so you're interested in makeup?"

Juleka shrugged. "I suppose? I haven't really narrowed down anything yet. I like to keep my options open. I enjoy makeup artistry, yes, but I'm not certain I would make a career out of it."

Adrien poked Marinette, bouncing with excitement. She swatted his hand away before he could get her to crack.

Behind them, Gabriel continued floundering for a way to steer the topic to his primary goal of identifying Ladybug. "So would designing be outside the realm of possibility? My company often has intern positions available, if that's something you're interested in pursuing when you get older."

Juleka shook her head immediately. "Oh no, Mr. Agreste. The only person around here who is interested in design is Marinette."

"M-Marinette?"

Despite her impending doom, Marinette couldn't help but snicker at the sudden hope that appeared in his flustered voice.

"Yeah, she's around here somewhere... oh there she is!" Juleka spotted her and pointed. Gabriel turned so fast he nearly stumbled over his feet, catching Marinette's eye as she finally released her laughter. Beside her, Adrien joined her, doubling over the back of the chair. Adrien held out a palm to Marinette, who wiped away the tears of mirth from her eyes and slapped a euro note on it, sending the final nail into her coffin with a delighted smile.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. He scowled and stalked over to the two of them. He stood beside them as they attempted to compose themselves, a futile endeavor as each time they appeared calm they took one look at Gabriel's embarrassed glower and broke down again into fresh giggles. "My house. Tonight," he ground out at last, pointing between the two of them before whirling away and stomping out of the room. His ears burned bright red as the sound of laughter followed him out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comedy is hard for me to write, as I tend to stray to more of the dry sarcastic humor that is perfect for Gabriel's character, but less so for a truly 'humorous' story. Hope this caused a few chuckles at least! Thanks to [PerditaAlottachocolate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerditaAlottachocolate) for help with the puns and jokes that appeared throughout dinner.


	3. Loved Ones

  _Chapter 3 – Loved Ones_

Gabriel drummed his fingers on his desk, deep in thought. He finally knew who both Ladybug and Chat Noir were, despite the many weeks of embarrassment and mind-numbing school events. He frowned. There _had_ to be a way to get them back. Hmm. An idea began to form and he picked up his phone and dialed a number. _Time for a bit of my own fun._

He successfully managed to hide his grin from Adrien and Marinette when the two arrived, as he cordially invited them into the dining room. Even after they smirked at him, he resisted temptation and kept his expression in his usual impassive frown, knowing that his payback would be that much sweeter with the element of surprise on his side.

They had settled in comfortably when the buzzer sounded again. Adrien and Marinette exchanged confused glances before turning to him, but he had already risen to greet the new guests.

"Come on in, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," he greeted, leading them through the dining room, even as Sabine added _oh, just call us Tom and Sabine,_ to which Gabriel acknowledged the same request. Adrien and Marinette's jaws dropped and at this, he allowed the confident smile to finally show upon his face.

"Ah, Marinette," her mother trilled, sitting down beside her. Her husband sat beside Adrien.

"Mom?" Marinette exclaimed. She glared at Gabriel who smirked at her, his eyes alighting with anticipation.

"I thought a family dinner would be nice, since I have yet to meet your parents formally," Gabriel explained in a smooth voice at odds with his smug expression.

"You're absolutely correct, Gabriel," Tom replied, oblivious to the invisible power struggle going on around him.

Adrien shot him a look that seemed to say "What are you doing?" but Gabriel ignored his son and offered everyone a drink. After everyone got settled, Marinette pounced.

"Thank you for inviting my parents here, but may I inquire as to the reason?" she asked, in a demure tone that countered the sharp look she aimed at Gabriel.

"No particular reason," Gabriel replied with neutral nonchalance, matching her burning glare with an even one of his own, "I just thought it was a bit of a catastrophe that we hadn't yet met."

Adrien choked on his drink. Marinette's expression twisted into confusion as she attempted to figure him out. Tom handed Adrien a napkin in concern.

"You have to be more careful when you drink," Tom told Adrien gently, "sip it slower and it won't go down the wrong pipe again."

Adrien shot a glare at his father as Gabriel lifted his own glass to mask his grin. This was going to be an interesting evening. "Thanks, Mr. Dupain-Cheng," Adrien said once he had his breathing under control.

"Regardless, I agree with you, Gabriel," Sabine said. "It's certainly a pleasure to finally meet Adrien's father. He is such a nice young man and we love having over anyone who enjoys our baking." Adrien flushed.

"Mom," Marinette chastised. "You're embarrassing him."

"Oh sorry, dear."

Gabriel smiled. "It's quite all right," he assured them, "I know Adrien doesn't like to be put on the spot."

The two teens whipped their heads back over to him. "Uh, no really it's okay," Adrien said, "I don't mind."

"Ah, then I'm glad this isn't bugging you," Gabriel continued. Marinette's face gradually darkened as she glanced between Gabriel and Adrien. "And Marinette is always welcome over here. She's a charming lady."

By now the two had definitely caught onto what he was doing, as both gaped at him, exchanging frantic looks of panic between each other. Gabriel didn't give them an ounce of satisfaction, drinking with calm stoicism.

As dinner came, Gabriel continued to incorporate as many hints related to the superheroes as he could into casual conversation.

_"Ah, I'll admit this tends to be my little lucky charm when designing."_

_"Though we keep to a rigid schedule during Fashion Week, I've oftentimes found myself needing to wing it on certain things."_

_"I can never get over the sensation of that moment of unveiling my designs. To this day, I'll still get butterflies in my stomach."_

_"Don't bother masking your enthusiasm, Marinette, your passions will propel you far in life."_

_"I've formed many contacts in my career, and one thing I've discovered is there are no magic words to open doors and replace solid work ethic and talent."_

_"It was miraculous we managed to get the spring line completed on time with all the production delays due to winter storms."_

"Father," Adrien had finally cut in, as both heroes started to look incredibly pale the further into dinner they got. Gabriel decided to cut them both a break.

"I must be boring you all with constant talk of business."

"Not at all," Tom assured him. "We can relate to that partially, and Marinette here I'm sure is eager to hear about anything having to do with the fashion industry, and your company especially."

Gabriel hid a smile as he observed Marinette's oddly strained expression. _Perhaps under different circumstances she would,_ he thought. "Still though," he insisted, "it is incredibly impolite of me to continue to dominate the conversation. Marinette, has Adrien ever told you about the time when he was little he so desperately wanted to visit me in the office that he hid underneath of one of the mannequin dresses?"

The sudden change in topic created several kinds of reactions. Adrien's face went from a ghostly pallor to a deep flush of embarrassment in seconds. Marinette's jaw dropped. Tom and Sabine cooed in unison.

"Father!" Adrien choked out. "Why would I _ever_ tell Marinette about that?"

"You should have seen it, my dear," he told Marinette, who took this information with a delightful glee that only a friend who planned using it at a later date would have. Adrien buried his face in his hands. "He must have only been about... oh how old were you, Adrien? Six? Seven?" The muffled groan prevented clear enunciation, but Gabriel would not be deterred. "He slipped past the staff and hid in between one of the mannequins. At his age, he could easily conceal himself underneath one of the wedding dresses I had prepared for transport. Fortunately for him, it required delicate touching and thus was already positioned on the mannequin itself. We were moving it to a display room. Adrien managed to cling to the legs of the mannequin for stability and keep quiet the entire time in the elevator."

Marinette hung on his every word with shining eyes, silently urging him to continue. "Well, my client decided to wear a coat that had a couple of feathers in it. While examining my designs, a few must have drifted down and gotten stuck near his hiding place. Adrien sneezed. It scared my client so badly she screamed and knocked over the mannequin."

Marinette stifled a laugh. Tom guffawed and Sabine held one hand delicately over her mouth, hiding her own grin.

"Adrien popped out from underneath the dress. My client fainted from the shock."

Marinette pressed her hands to her cheeks and released her laugh. Adrien groaned again. "Father!" he moaned.

"Needless to say, he was in quite a tizzy after discovering that he had caused one of my clients to pass out. He thought he had killed her. He was inconsolable for _hours_. Fortunately, my client came to quickly and found the whole thing rather amusing after discovering the whole story."

"Haha," Tom laughed in appreciation. "That reminds me of the time that Marinette insisted on 'correcting' a dress for one of our friends."

The joy in Marinette's face faded into her own mortification. Adrien lifted his head, eager to hear his own personal slice of blackmail. "Dad, no!" she cried.

"I don't know why you're so upset, she loved what you did with it."

"Did she?" Gabriel asked, intrigued.

"Well," Tom amended, placing one finger upon his lips thoughtfully, "of course this _was_ after Marinette tripped and dumped an entire bowl full of flour over it."

"Daaaad!"

"She cleaned it, of course, and even at twelve she told our friend that her dress was ugly so she decided to 'fix it'. Our friend didn't know what to think until Marinette brought out the freshly cleaned dress and proudly pointed out her additions. She added the cutest border of embroidered flowers to the hemline that our customer absolutely _adored_."

"So it wasn't just me that you fell for?" Adrien asked with a roguish wink, causing Marinette's face to flame even redder than Gabriel thought possible.

"Oh heaven's no," Sabine chimed in. "Though Marinette does talk about you a lot, Adrien dear."

"Mooom!"

Gabriel spotted the brief smile exchanged between Tom and Sabine and instantly felt a surge of affection for the two. They knew exactly what they were doing and he wholeheartedly supported their efforts.

"Did you know that Adrien actually pretended to hide in the shower to avoid a girl he liked?" Gabriel said.

Both Adrien and Marinette blanched.

"Oh really?" Tom asked. "Who was the lucky lady?"

Gabriel couldn't help it. Tom couldn't have asked a more perfect question if he had been schooled in advance. He laughed. After a minute, Marinette joined in with Adrien following a second later. For a long time the three of them just sat and laughed at the utter absurdity before them, with Tom and Sabine watching in amusement.

After a while, Marinette calmed down and wiped her eyes. She looked between Gabriel and Adrien and took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, we have something to tell you."

"We do?" Adrien asked in alarm.

She nodded, squaring her shoulders. "It's what Mr. Agreste has been trying to do all evening. At least, I think so." She hazarded a glance at him. He nodded once. She turned to her parents. She opened her mouth. But no words came. Her expression grew stricken. She licked her lips and faltered, shooting a look full of panic at Adrien. He reached over without hesitation and squeezed her hand, taking over for her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, what your daughter is trying to say is that I'm Chat Noir. And she's Ladybug," he informed them in a steady voice. Gabriel watched his son, pride swelling in him at Adrien's sudden protectiveness of his partner.

There was silence for a moment. Tom and Sabine stared at each other and seemed to have an entire silent conversation between them. Finally, Tom shrugged and Sabine turned to her daughter. "Oh, honey, is that all? We already knew."

Silence.

Then, " _What?"_ three voices chorused simultaneously.

"You knew?" Marinette exclaimed. "Since when?"

Adrien looked to Gabriel but he was as stunned as the two teens.

Tom chuckled. "For a while now, Marinette."

"But..." Marinette struggled to find the words, "you grounded me!"

"Oh," Sabine chimed in. "Yeah it was around that time."

"What?!"

"Sorry dear, but really, pillows underneath your bedsheets?" Sabine explained. "Not very original."

"It was Tikki's idea," Marinette protested in a low mumble.

"We knew you really wanted to go support Nino at that competition," Tom took over, ignoring his daughter, "but when we turned on the TV we realized that not only were you _not_ at the studio, but there had been an akuma attack as well. There was only one possible conclusion to draw from that."

"And Adrien? Did you know about him, also?" Marinette asked.

Another silent conversation between the two. "Not until recently," Tom admitted after a moment. "You started acting much more at ease around him. We concluded that either you had gotten over your crush-," at this Marinette let out a squeak and Adrien grinned at her, "-which Sabine pointed out was _very_ unlikely, or that you had uncovered something else. I suggested that you were Chat Noir and your mother agreed."

"This dinner only further verified it," Sabine added. Her eyes sparkled. "We did enjoy your antics all evening, Gabriel, even if our children did not."

Gabriel chuckled. "And I enjoyed your conversation as well."

Sabine continued, taking a sip of after-dinner tea. "Though honestly, Gabriel, it's about time you finally connected the dots." She winked. "Tom here thought you would never become wise to it but I had more faith in you. Looks like Tom owes me dinner." She smiled at her husband.

Gabriel's jaw dropped open in astonishment. He turned to Marinette. "Does your entire family place bets on important events?" he cried out, even as Sabine and Tom dissolved into giggles.

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thank you to [PerditaAlottachocolate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerditaAlottachocolate) for beta-reading this work and assisting with the ideas and brainstorming for this week.
> 
> She's the reason Chapters 2 and 3 exists, so if you enjoyed them, be sure to check out her works as well! :)

**Author's Note:**

> A sincere and special thank you to [PerditaAlottachocolate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerditaAlottachocolate) for beta-reading this and helping with ideas and plotting.
> 
> I hadn't originally planned to do more than one chapter, but we got to talking and chapter 2 was formed... and then chapter 3. Thank her for the next two chapters. And the puns. Most of Gabriel's wordplay was her ideas.


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